1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for producing basic aluminum sulfate, and to novel basic aluminum sulfate in the form of fibers, spheres or prisms.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
There have been known various kinds of basic aluminum salts which are in three known forms, crystals, a gel and a sol, and these aluminum salts have found application as industrial materials, for example intermediate raw materials for alumina. Naturally occurring minerals, such as Basaluminite [Al(OH).sub.2.50 (SO.sub.4).sub.0.25.1.25H.sub.2 O], Paraluminite [Al(OH).sub.2.50 (SO.sub.4).sub.0.25.2.5H.sub.2 O], Hydrobasaluminite [Al(OH).sub.2.50 (SO.sub.4).sub.0.25.9H.sub.2 O] and Metabasaluminite [Al(OH).sub.2.50 (SO.sub.4).sub.0.25 ], are also known, and it is known that several kinds of basic aluminum sulfate having similar compositions but different forms and crystal structures exist.
It has, of course, been known heretofore to produce basic aluminum sulfate directly by partially neutralizing aluminum sulfate with an alkali. The resulting basic aluminum sulfate, however, tends to be in the form of a sol of gel.